Ember Island
by AnHeiressofaSOLDIER
Summary: Post-KHIII. In which Lea and Xion want to be nice and give a cake to Relena (Larxene) for an anniversary, but Roxas is hesitant. Also, Roxas and Xion bicker like the siblings they are-just as they did when they were in Organization XIII-and it's up to Lea and Naminé to once again solve everything. But mostly a story where our heroes get the happiness and peace they deserve. SST.


**Ember Island**

"Okay," Xion said, her back to Roxas and Lea, as she attempted to leave Twilight Town's sea salt ice cream shop with a massive cake in hand. "I'm going to go get this outside, and hopefully not smush it while I'm doing so, and then I'll go locate some candles."

Roxas noted that Lea—in his rather stylish orange button-up, looking far more polished than he ever had during their time in the Organization—seemed somewhat miffed about the idea of the candles. Most likely because he realized Xion was planning to get trick ones, and Lea… Lea had never really been a fan of those.

Roxas knew it was because either, as a Keyblade wielder, Lea had had to learn to put his fire magic on hold, and now didn't want to be tempted by the flames to reach out towards that again, or…

That he actually _wanted_ to be a pyromaniac again, and thus was irritated whenever the candles temporarily flickered out, as it was hard for him to catch the conflagration into himself that way.

Roxas had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.

It was best not to focus on that right now, though, the spiky-haired blond thought. Instead, he returned his attention to where it was meant to be at this time—thanking the kind shop owner for the cake, as well as for making them ice cream all these years—and headed out himself.

The moment he did, however, it was instantly to play big brother to Xion, who seemed to be scanning the entire Tram Common area in front of her for some kind of candle shop.

"Xion," Roxas practically hissed, when he fully noted her navy dress—that left very little to the imagination, as far as he was concerned—and the red belt she wore at her waist that served to accentuate far too many of her curves.

He hadn't noticed it before, as he hadn't seen his little sister the entire day until she'd been the last of the trio to enter into the ice cream shop. And there, when she'd been somewhat standing in shadow, Roxas had been able to fool himself into thinking Xion was wearing a lot more than she actually was.

Now he knew better.

Xion rolled her eyes at Roxas' statement—which he had expected, honestly—for ever since Sora had saved them, she'd undoubtedly heard it many a time coming from him.

In fact, Roxas thought that maybe she was planning to ignore him entirely—as she headed toward the store of the Accessory Shop owner that he had had a crush on in the virtual Twilight Town—and indicated the blonde girl's attire. "Look at the locals' style here one more time, Roxas, and _then_ tell me I'm showing off too much skin."

As much as Roxas hated to admit it, Xion honestly had a point. Jessie, who he had eventually come to understand the girl's name to be, was dressed much the same way that Xion was.

And even more than that, Roxas knew for a fact that Kairi—and his own girlfriend, Naminé—usually dressed a lot less… modestly than this, with them both living on a tropical island now and all that, so…

Roxas, as he put his hands behind his head as Sora would (something that, thankfully, didn't bother him to do anymore), prepared himself for the lecture that was coming: no doubt Xion would tell him what a hypocrite he was being, as he clearly liked what _Naminé_ wore; and Xion would also probably tell him that at least _she_ was willing to change her style, unlike him, who mostly bought the same clothes over and over again, so that he could wear his favorite outfit from the fake Twilight Town as much as he wanted to without having to do laundry.

But in the end, no such insults ended up came. Instead, Xion just related something rather level-headedly: "Do you really think you need to worry about me so much, Roxas? _Me_ , who is pretty much the queen of feminists because of Relena's influence on me now? Especially when all we're doing today is _for_ Relena?"

As much as Roxas somewhat hated to relent anything about Relena—and he really did; in fact, he was even tempted to still argue the point with Xion, like any good older brother would, but steal her massive yellow wristband away from her, so that she couldn't whack him on the head with it when he ended up offending her—he did know that she _had_ become less awful than she had been, and really did seem to be helping Xion some these days.

Relena—the human version of Larxene, that was—had ended up being saved by Sora just as the three of them had.

Surprisingly, after that had happened, Xion had been quick to strike up a friendship with the girl—feeling that, as a female, Larxene had probably one of the furthest removed from Xehanort's plans and that perhaps they could trust her—and Roxas was glad for that: surely being the only two girls from Organization XIII _did_ give them both something to bond over, but…

It hadn't been until Roxas had talked to Sora about her—who had, of course, reached out to her himself, saint that the boy was—that he'd come to understand that Relena had gone through some truly troubling things as a Somebody, and it was that that had effected her so much as a Nobody.

"I won't lie and say that I understand it all completely," Sora had said, at a dinner the two of them had agreed to have together every week, so that Roxas could maybe try to get over all his misplaced hatred. "But didn't some of the Nobodies try and act on their old memories? To try and figure out who to _be_ as a Nobody, I mean?

"Well, since Larxene's life hadn't exactly been rainbows and sunshine, that already set her up badly for a new life. But factor in the fact that she was trying to compensate for something, and you've got the real witch that I met at Castle Oblivion right there. Relena, though? I think she might have more of a chance… Or so Lea seems to think, anyway."

Sora had become abruptly red at that last remark of his. Roxas hadn't understood it at first, but he was forced to remember then that his former Other knew a lot more about human relationships than he himself did.

"Yo! Roxas, Xion, can the two of you stop arguin' for a moment, and give me a round of applause for scorin' us some candles?"

"Lea!" Roxas acknowledged, turning around to face his friend easily, as he'd become used to the redhead surprising him throughout much of his life.

Xion, however, wasn't so lucky. At the shock of hearing the sudden inclusion of Lea's voice, she seemed to almost lose the cake she was still holding onto. But what was even worse?

Since Xion was still standing in front of Jessie at her line of work, the youngest of the trio almost ended up giving the other girl less of a pie in the face and more of a cake in the face.

That, fortunately, didn't end up happening, but even so… Roxas promised himself that he was going to buy his acquaintance a nice gift after this. He felt bad for her. First Xion had come up to her to defend her own type of clothes, and now this!

To give Jessie a hint that he did care about her, and was going to make it all up to her, Roxas walked over to the stunned blonde and patted her on the arm, while she smiled shyly at him.

Xion, meanwhile, seemed baffled that Lea had been able to get candles from the sea salt ice cream lady, where they hadn't been able to.

Lea kindly choose to put Xion out of her misery then, as he said, "You lovelies are forgetting that Sora didn't just save us before the climatic throw-down with Xehanort. He also saved a lot of people who were turned into Heartless. You remember those Shadows swarming and making 'SOS', right?"

At the small nod from Roxas, and the wide smile from Xion—for she, better than anyone, understood what it must have felt like to be rescued when you didn't think you were going to be, Roxas thought miserably—Lea continued on with, "Anyway, guess who our favorite lady here's related to? That's right! One of the Heartless that Sora—and by extension, the three of us—saved! When she heard about that, she was more than willing to give us some candles for free!"

Roxas was confused… And so was Jessie, for that matter, as Roxas got a good look at her. They usually didn't tell people about the role they'd played in the fate of the worlds, for fear of being hounded by the paparazzi, so the fact that Lea had ended up telling their favorite ice cream maker was a bit… questionable.

If he _had_ even told her, Roxas thought. He was starting to become suspicious that something else had happened.

"Err," Xion began, interrupting Lea's tale of impossible feats in getting candles: as it was something he usually didn't even like.

So maybe Sora's theory about Lea and Relena was actually right?

"I feel like we should move this conversation somewhere else. Don't you guys?"

Roxas, understanding what Xion meant, swiftly agreed, and so the three of them somewhat shuffled away from Jessie and towards the incline that would lead to Market Street.

After everything with Xehanort and his followers had ended, things were certainly better for everyone. They still had _some_ enemies, however, and Roxas didn't want anyone to realize they could his acquaintance, Jessie, against him. She was far too nice for that.

And – and Roxas knew he wouldn't even be able to save Jessie, if it came down to it, because he and Xion both had hung up their Keyblades.

So protecting her now, instead of later, really was for the best.

"I'm assuming you didn't tell her about us, Lea. So what? Did she see your silver necklace, that all those who are protecting the world order are wearing now, and guess?" Xion said, just as Lea said, "But if we move too much, guys, how will Naminé find us?"

That last sentence certainly got Roxas' attention. Naminé was here, he wondered eagerly?

And sure enough, just as Roxas had begun thinking about using his own connection to Naminé—just as Sora and Kairi had used their own to talk through _him_ once in the past—to try and locate her, she came spilling out of the ice cream shop herself, and Roxas was instantly running towards her.

Really, he knew that he probably shouldn't have been this happy to see her—they _had_ just seen each other two days ago, after all—but Roxas couldn't help himself: he swept his love up into his arms, spun her around once, and just as Naminé had begun giggling did he stand her back down on the ground.

"Naminé, what are you doing here?" Roxas asked, now giggling himself. " _How_ did you get here? A Corridor of Light, right? But wh-"

"Because Xion was wrong about how Melanie—that's the pastry chef's name, by the way; I figured you guys should know—found out about us to help. I enlisted Naminé's aid for this a while back, actually. I kept it a secret, because I figure' that Roxas wouldn't be too interested in concentrating on helping me and you, Xion, if his witch of a girlfriend was here, but…

"Anyway, Nami came today like I asked her to—looked into Melanie's memories to find out if she had candles, and what it would take for her to help us—and here we are."

Roxas knew that he probably should've been annoyed with his best friends right now: Lea, for having so little faith that he'd be able to focus when his soul mate was around; and Xion, for looking at Naminé's outfit—and with a smug look on her face—seeming about to blackmail Roxas with just how skimpy it was.

Ugh. Roxas hated them both! But with Naminé here with him now—her head leaning on his shoulder, as she slipped her hand into his, making everything right—he couldn't even care less.

"I almost didn't come here," Naminé admitted sadly then, sending a sympathetic grin Roxas' way, before she moved to keep some of her loose tank top sleeves from falling down more… and as well as to keep the blue wave-looking material at the bottom of her dress from riding up. "I mean, today is the tenth month since Sora, and us, saved the multiverse. We're bound to get a lot of questions coming in today, from certain people, asking about all the details. I was going to help with that, but then…

"But then I realized that you probably chose _today_ , for that same reason, to help Relena. And that's far more important and nobler a cause. I want to be involved with that, because I know how she's suffering… And so is Xion, it looks like!"

Before anyone could ask what she meant, Naminé moved to take the chocolate cake out of Xion's hands—from where it looked like she _had_ hurt them, in maybe having moved to catch it when it had almost plummeted into Jessie before—and Xion couldn't have looked more grateful for it.

She even moved to kiss Naminé on the cheek in thanks. And Xion then explained that it probably _was_ best that she wasn't holding the cake now, as when Relena ended up seeing them, she was probably going to want a hug from Xion first.

"You three head towards Sunset Hill now," Naminé said sweetly, just as the three in turn moved to listen to what she had said, just as Sora had all those years ago in Castle Oblivion.

But this time, people started forward because they really loved Naminé and were moved by her. This time her wisdom was revered, and the group's trust in her was stronger than it was in most others.

"I'll put the candles in while we walk. It's getting late now, I mean, and I'm sure you want to get to Relena _on_ today's anniversary and not tomorrow."

And so the four headed off towards a possibly new friend… or in Roxas' case, anyway, as he was most definitely the one out of the four with the least of a connection to her.

Xion seemed the most gung-ho to see her friend, and went off in a sprint right away. This didn't really surprise Roxas, because Xion had always been the competitive sort, hadn't she?

But that didn't stop Lea from watching her—a somewhat amazed facial expression etched on his face as he did so—and Roxas wondered for a moment, then, if there had ever maybe been a time when the two of them might have liked each other, but…

Roxas mostly wrote it all off as competition. After all, Lea was even running after Xion now, seeming to try and beat her, as if he thought he deserved to see his girlfriend before Xion got to see her best female friend.

Roxas rolled his eyes, but deep down he was at peace. He didn't know what life would have been, if his friends didn't still have the childish tendencies that they had had in them in the Organization.

Hand in hand with Naminé—as he very slightly began jogging with her now—Roxas made it with his allies to the train station, relaxed with them for a while as they rode over the tracks, and then took off running with them towards Sunset Terrace.

It didn't last long, however. After a while, Roxas began walking leisurely with Naminé—taking in how some of the mossy embankments going up sunset hill sort of looked like wedding cake layers.

He even turned to Naminé and told her as much—and that he felt like he should be proposing to her with the actual cake they had now, instead of giving it to Relena—but she just laughed it off, pushed one of Roxas' shoulder blades, and told him to go off and assist his friends already.

Roxas did just that, overtaking the other two, as he got to Relena near some of the silver trashcans atop the hill, and held up a peace sign. She had the least reason to care about him at all, after all, so why not try and get somewhat on her good side?

And funnily enough, Lea and Xion seemed to decide to do the exact same thing, as they came up to stand in a line with him.

Roxas sensed they were mostly making fun of them, and he glared at them for doing so… Before bursting out laughing, deciding to just pose with his friends, and then move forward to clap Relena on the shoulder, telling her, "Happy tenth month of the 'Sora saved us all' life that we now live."

At first? Relena seemed about to complain about everything Roxas has just told her, and life in general, but she seemed to calm down when Naminé made her own appearance.

Cake fixed everything, Roxas decided then: even his complete awkwardness and lack of know how… And even _if_ it was the most disgusting spongy substance that he, personally, had ever had the displeasure to come across.

Naminé was standing beside Roxas now, the red of the fire from the candles melting into the orangey backdrop of the sky behind them: a red-ish sky that also seemed to speak of clichés, all things hearts: the hearts that they now all had.

And Lea, as he moved toward it, held out his hands and seemed to catch a spark within them: regaining the ability he'd somehow lost in the struggle, as if hinting that reigniting the world in a better fashion _would_ take Keyblade wielders, true, but even better: the sort of feelings the former Nobodies surrounded themselves with on this magical day.

 **Author's Note: For my best friend in the whole world, Liz. Since you've been awesome enough to draw so many pictures for my stories (that I appreciate wholeheartedly), I thought it was only fair I wrote a story for one of your pictures:)**

 **…I hope Relena—Larxene-doesn't come off too much as a Draco in Leather Pants here. Somehow, the story just seemed to snowball in a way that revolved around her, and I hadn't actually planned it that way** **(though I somewhat blame a certain Tumblr comic for it. LOL)** **.**

 **Mainly because for a LONG time I've had a huge headcanon about why Larxene is the way she is. I've actually meant to write it for forever, so maybe now that I've kind of hinted at it in this I will? IDK.**

 **Oh, and Roxas' stance on cake is inspired by my favorite sea salt trio fanfiction of all time: "My Best Friends, A Rooftop Picnic, and Cake" by Walkway on fanfiction. I couldn't not use that here, seeing as it's basically the only Days fic I've ever read (and the best one).**

 **The Heartless "SOS" thing is actually something that does happen in the first KHIII trailer, btw.**

 **And the Accessory Shop girl's being named "Jessie" is originally thought of by x-destinys-force-x on deviantArt, I think.**

 **What else do I need to say? Hmm… I have no idea why Lea doesn't have fire powers in this? Just roll with it? LOL.**

 **Oh! And the sea salt ice cream shop lady is inspired by the manga! (I'm also the one who came up with her name for this.)**

 **"** **Relena" was coined by TV Tropes, I believe…**

 **Anyway, Liz. Hope you like this. Hope it suffices. Especially since you went above and beyond the call of duty on my amazing Christmas present this year; I love you so much, honey:D**

 **Thanks for reading, everyone. You're the best!**

 **-Shanna**

 **Edit: The picture I'm talking about is by bluerose729 on deviantArt. It's her "KH 10th Anniversary 358/2 Days" one:)**


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